24

24

Cassandra

Things happen quickly after that. Most of the rest of the guests appear in a group, and under different circumstances, I might be amused by the sheer chaos of half a dozen members of the Thirteen trying to take charge of the situation.

Hard to be amused about anything when I’m watching Pan’s back to ensure he hasn’t stopped breathing.

I liked the cheerful man. I desperately want him to be okay.

Minos sweeps in five minutes later with two men in nondescript uniforms who might be paramedics, but they’re not dressed like any I’ve ever seen. He stops short and looks down at Pan.

My adrenaline is surging. I can’t stop shaking. It’s almost enough for me to miss the pure fury on his face. He masks it quickly. I’m sure I’m the only one who witnessed it, kneeling at Pan’s side as I am.

Minos snaps his fingers. “Stop bickering. We need to help this man.” He motions to the two men who accompanied him. “Get a stretcher and prepare him for the ambulance. It should be here shortly.”

The impulse to throw myself over Pan’s body so they won’t take him is nearly overwhelming. Someone attacked this man, and the only reason he was here in the first place is because Minos invited him. No one else at this party wants Pan dead…

Do they?

I look helplessly at Apollo. He’s got his expression locked down tight. He circles around and cups my elbow, guiding me to my feet. “Let the medics help, Cassandra.”

“If they hurt him—”

“They won’t.” He says it loud enough that everyone stops arguing and looks at him. “Pan is a friend. A number of people in this room—and beyond—would take it amiss if anything happened to him.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to snarl that something already happened to him, but if Apollo can assure no one finishes the job, that’s the only thing that matters.

“Of course.” Minos smiles, all charming host once more. “He’s under my hospitality.”

“Not that that helped him,” I mutter. “He was attacked while under your hospitality.”

The medics make quick work of getting Pan onto a stretcher and whisking him out of the room. Once he’s gone, we’re left staring at each other with an increasing amount of distrust. Pan didn’t slip and fall on the stone sculpture. Someone hit him with it.

Someone likely in this room.

Eurydice opens her mouth, expression still distraught, but before she can say anything, Aphrodite storms through the door. She takes in the scene with a single sweep. “Why does everyone look like their favorite dog got kicked?”

“Pan—”

The door opens again behind Aphrodite, cutting Eurydice off a second time, and in walks Theseus with his arm slung around Adonis’s shoulders. Adonis has his smile firmly in place, and not even I can tell if it’s fake or not. Ah. That explains the fury in Aphrodite’s eyes.

Theseus doesn’t immediately release him. “Adonis won.”

“Wonderful. Let’s take a quick break to, ah, deal with a few things.” Minos looks around the room. “We’ll rejoin for dinner.”

“Rejoin for dinner,” Eurydice repeats. She takes a step forward, ignoring the light touch Charon places on her arm. “You can’t honestly expect us to ignore what happened to Pan. I thought he was dead.”

“He’s not dead,” Minos says mildly. “He was drinking with Dionysus during lunch. He obviously tripped over the rug and injured himself.”

I blink. Surely they’re not going to buy that? It doesn’t make the slightest bit of sense.

Dionysus chooses that moment to hiccup. “He was putting it away. Chap can drink me under the table.”

I glare at Hermes, but she’s got a small smile on her face and, for once, apparently has nothing to say. Aphrodite props her hands on her hips. “Someone explain what happened.”

“I just did, my dear.” Minos moves to the door, stepping easily over the bloodstain. “Shall we?” He walks out without another word.

Theseus tightens his grip on Adonis’s shoulders and steers him after his foster father. It’s at that moment that I realize no one else in Minos’s household is in the room.

One of them was responsible.

Except we have no way to prove it. It can’t be Ariadne. There’s no way she got downstairs in time to attack Pan…but she’s the only one I can safely mark off the list of suspects. I step back and take Apollo’s hand. “We should call Ares. That wasn’t an accident; it was attempted murder.”

Charon shakes his head slowly. “No way to prove it.”

I blink. “Excuse me?”

“There’s no way to prove it,” he repeats patiently. “They will come in and the first thing they’ll do is sweep for prints. Do you know whose prints are on that tortoise?”

Eurydice’s.

Apollo sighs. “There might be others.”

“It will muddy the water.” He turns to Eurydice. “We can leave if you want. I don’t think we’re going to find the answers we’re looking for here.”

Her lower lip quivers, but she makes an obvious effort to still it. “I’m fine. There’s no reason to leave. Not until you’ve accomplished what you set out to.”

That all but confirms my suspicions that Charon is here on a fact-finding mission for Hades, the same way we are for Zeus. It’s a small blessing that Hades, at least, isn’t looking to ally himself with Minos. I can’t say the same for the others, except Aphrodite.

“Eurydice—”

“Would you leave if I wasn’t here?” His silence is answer enough. She turns to the rest of us. “Are you leaving?”

“Nope.” Hermes laughs. “This is just getting interesting.”

Dionysus shrugs. “He’s got good wine.” His normal good cheer is nowhere in evidence, though. If anything, he looks far sicker than alcohol can explain.

I cannot believe what I’m hearing. They should all be heading for the front door. Instead, they’re…staying. “You’re serious. Someone just tried to kill Pan and you’re just going to stick around and wait to give them another shot? And what about Atalanta and Tyche? That’s three people.”

“Pan will be transported to the hospital in the city.” Dionysus hiccups. “I’m sure he’ll be okay.”

“Atalanta texted me. She’s fine.” Artemis examines her fingernails. “Sometimes parties get wild, Cassandra. You’d know that if you were invited to more of them.” Behind her, Hephaestus makes a choked laughing sound.

“As if someone couldn’t take her phone and use it to text you.” I’m sorely tempted to pick up that fucking tortoise and fling it at her, but aside from that thing looking heavy, assault never solved any problems. If they won’t see reason, trying to beat some sense into them isn’t going to work. “You’re fools. One of you will be next.”

Hephaestus snorts. “Please. We’re the Thirteen. We’ll be fine.”

“Of all the—”

“Collar your girlfriend, Apollo. Before one of us has to.” Artemis turns away.

Her exit starts a cascade. One by one they follow her, even Eurydice and Charon. Hermes is the last one standing and she shakes her head slowly. “I told you to leave, Cass. It’s not too late to go, but no one is going to believe your warnings.” She leaves before I can come up with a response.

What is there to say? She’s right.

I turn to Apollo. He looks troubled, but even knowing him as well as I do, I can’t say if it’s what just happened that’s bothering him or thoughts of the future. He finally meets my gaze and squeezes my hand. “I hate to say it, but she’s right. You should leave.”

I don’t miss the emphasis on you. “What about you? What about Ariadne?”

He ignores the question. “I don’t know why someone would target Pan, but it’s getting more and more obvious that you’re not safe.”

“Apollo—”

“If you’re concerned about Zeus declaring the deal null and void, I can make the argument that you’ve more than done your duty and you never agreed to being in physical danger. He may attempt to dock the pay, but I’ll make up the difference.”

Exasperation takes hold. He’s nothing if not stubborn. “You can’t just write me a check for over a million dollars. Your family would chase me out of town with pitchforks and torches.”

“You already intend to leave. What do you care what my family thinks?”

He’s right. Of course he’s right. That doesn’t change the fact that the thought of leaving Apollo here alone makes my entire body clench in denial. “That’s not the point.”

He steps close and cups my face. “Let me worry about the money. Go home where it’s safe.”

I cover his hands with my own. “I’ll leave if you come with me.”

“I can’t.” He sighs. “Not if there really is potential for Ariadne to flip to our side.”

“Then we’ll call Ares.” I’m reaching, and I know it, but I can’t shake the feeling of impending doom.

“Ares can’t interfere without a direct invitation or an order from Zeus, which he won’t give for fear of alienating those members of the Thirteen who are guests.” Apollo shakes his head. “I can’t leave. Not yet. But you can, Cassandra. Please.”

“No. Not without you.” I wrap my hands around his wrists and squeeze. “If I’m not here, you have no one to watch your back. I’m not Ares or Athena or even Artemis, but I can’t leave you alone. Don’t ask me to.”

“I’m not the one in danger, Cassandra.” I refuse to budge. He looks like he wants to keep arguing but finally sighs again. “Short of stuffing you in a trunk and driving back to the city myself, I’m not going to convince you, am I?”

Despite everything, I laugh a little. “No. Short of kidnapping, it’s not going to happen.”

He presses a quick kiss to my forehead and drops his hands. “All right. If you’re not leaving, let’s go see what’s next.” He pauses. “No going anywhere alone, Cassandra. I won’t risk you.”

“Okay. I won’t. I promise.”

Apollo takes my hand. “Come on.”

We find the rest of the guests gathered back in the living room. Aphrodite sits on the couch next to Dionysus, her arms crossed and dark eyes furious. He blinks at her but for once doesn’t seem to have a witty comment ready. In fact, he looks to be in danger of losing his lunch, pale skin waxy and sweat dotting his forehead.

Theseus sits next to Adonis on one of the other couches. They aren’t quite cuddled up, but Theseus has sprawled his big body out so that he’s pressed against the other man…and Adonis doesn’t appear to be complaining for reasons I can’t fathom.

They do look quite the pair, though.

Adonis, for his part, has his charming smile in place. I’ve never been able to figure out if he’s truly so easygoing that nothing ruffles his feathers or if he’s got the best mask I’ve ever seen. I can’t honestly say for certain, which would bother me if I gave a shit about Olympus politics beyond determining who to actively avoid.

Theseus, though? He’s got a terrible poker face. Satisfaction comes off him in waves, there in the possessive way he touches Adonis and the smirk he sends in Aphrodite’s direction. Considering I haven’t seen him look twice at the other man since they arrived, this must be for her benefit.

Aphrodite has managed to piss off one of Minos’s foster sons—maybe just by virtue of being related to Helen, who caused him so much damage and stole his chance to become the next Ares—and it certainly looks like he’s going to make her choke on his “date” with Adonis.

If Minos intends to match his children with powerful people, Adonis shouldn’t be on the list. He’s arguably the least powerful person in this room, excepting me.

It makes about as much sense as attacking Pan.

I’m missing something. Something important. If I just had some time and space to reason it through…

“Cassandra?”

I startle and glance at Apollo. It’s only then that I realize I was staring at Theseus and Adonis too intensely. I try for a smile. “Just thinking too hard.”

He doesn’t look like he believes me, but then I’m a normal human being who just went through a shock. Little tremors keep shifting my limbs without my permission. I don’t understand how everyone is chatting easily as if one of Minos’s people isn’t in the library, cleaning bloodstains out of the rug. Only Charon and Eurydice seem bothered, and they make some vague excuses and leave the room quickly.

Even Apollo seems mostly fine as he guides me over to sit near Dionysus and Aphrodite. He drops into their conversation easily, charming Aphrodite enough that she stops sending murderous looks at her boyfriend and Theseus. Mostly.

This is what it means to be one of the Thirteen.

I knew they functioned differently than the rest of us, but spending so much time with Hermes and then Apollo lulled me into a false sense of thinking I truly understood what that meant.

I didn’t then.

I sure as fuck do now as the afternoon stretches toward evening…and dinnertime.

I would like to say that I focus heavily on all the conversations around me during dinner. Minos is there playing his charming king routine. The others are speaking about…something. But all I can think of is that Pan was nearly killed and not a single person has inquired about an update from the hospital. Not even Dionysus, who is the reason Pan was at this party to begin with.

Everyone is very carefully not looking at me. They all think I’m paranoid and weak. Even Charon and Eurydice, who are handling this a thousand times better than I am. And why not? Neither of them have seen exactly what the elite in Olympus are capable of.

Is this how the Thirteen acted after they ordered my parents to be murdered?

Did they sit around and drink and laugh while Athena’s assassins chased my parents through the streets of downtown, ending in their fiery death?

It was a different Apollo who held the title during that time, but I can’t pretend that my Apollo would have made a different call. Not when his priorities are vividly clear. He will do anything to protect Olympus. Even if it compromises his personal morals. He knows what would happen to this city if information about the assassination clause got out. He wouldn’t relish sentencing my parents to death, but he’d do it to serve the greater good.

If it had been me in the library, bashed over the head and left to die on the floor? I can’t guarantee he’d do anything other than what he’s doing right now—chatting easily with Aphrodite. He might enjoy me, might care about me on some level, but he won’t put me before the city.

Expecting him to will only end in heartbreak.

I can’t breathe. Oh gods, I can’t do this.

Time moves strangely. On one hand, it feels like we just sat down for dinner when the staff is clearing away dessert and it’s over. I don’t eat anything. It’s taking every bit of willpower I have to sit still and not flee the room. Apollo shoots me a few looks, but Ariadne is seated next to us and he’s focusing on charming her.

It’s only as dinner ends that I realize we still have another of Minos’s godsdamned games to suffer through before we can escape.

Minos surprises me, though. He clears his throat. “I think, given the events of this afternoon, that it would be best if we postponed tonight’s entertainment. There will be an after-dinner drink served in the lounge, but it’s hardly mandatory.”

I grab Apollo’s arm as he starts to shift his chair back. “I can’t—” My voice comes out ragged, and I have to clear my throat and try again, quiet enough only he can hear. “Apollo, I can’t do more small talk. I’m going to start screaming and never stop.”

His dark brows draw together in concern and he gives a jerky nod. “Of course. I had no idea you were that distressed.”

I have no idea how youaren’t.

I don’t say it. It’s not fair. It’s not even his fault that we’re built so differently when it comes to this. If my parents had been successful, maybe I’d be just as blasé. Maybe.

Whatever he sees on my face has him frowning harder. “Let’s go back to the room.”

“Okay,” I whisper. I’m unraveling at the seams. I’m not built for this kind of thing. I thought Hermes was being dramatic when she said I was in danger.

I should have known better. She never gambles with those she cares about, even if she won’t step in to save them from themselves. I chose to stay.

I never expected to be dragged down memory lane, triggered by one of the most traumatic experiences of my life. My parents didn’t believe me that the Thirteen would never stand for them to trigger the assassination clause. The police didn’t believe me that the Thirteen murdered my parents. Now no one is believing me about the danger this party represents.

Am I doomed to repeat the same warnings, only to have to stand by and watch the people I care about be hurt?